Improvement in telegraphic signal apparatus



JOSEPH W. KATES, or RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

lMPR OVEMENTlN 'TELEGRAPHIC SIGNAL APPARATUS;

Specification forming part ofLettersPatent No. 158,7l5, l September 28,1874.

7 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPHWYLKATES, of

Richmonthin the county of Henrico and State".

automatic signal-telegraph to be used in ho-- tels, public departments,large business establishlnents, and also private residences, whichshal'ltransmit toacentral supply-station the most frequentlyrecurringwants of the establishment,.and whose operation shall be so simplifiedas to be adapted to the ordinary intelligence of persons unskilledintelegraphy.

- A grooved drum rests in a hearing at one end, and connected at theother with the main shaft of-a clock-gearing. Within the grooves of saiddrum are woundnon-conducting tapes, fastenedfto. the drum at one end,and having elongated and round perforations punched within the same,arranged to represent tele graphic letters. These tapes correspond. innumber to the most frequen tly recurring wants of: the establishment,and their free ends pass between two metallic rollers or wheels. Thelower set of these wheels. have broad faces,- the first one to theleftbeing connected'with the positive pc'le of-the linowire connection,The upper set of wheels are much smaller than the lower set,.and areheld down upon the tapes by means of springs, the first one to the rightbeing connected with themegative pole of the line-connection.

- As thetapes are pulled out by hand, and then drawn back by means ofthe clock-gearin g, the current is alternately made and broken by thecontact of the two wheels, through the perforations in the tape, and theappropriatesignal transmitted-to the central supply-oflice. Agalvanometer is placed in the apparatus, icon eting-with thelineaFiresand indicates,

box with a pordate'd'January 12, 1875; application filed Q by atremulous motion, to the operator the employment of thewires by someother instrument, thus enabling him to avoid all confusion of signalsSaid grooved drum is provided with a stop which limits the motion of thedrum.

A loose arbor-wheel on the main shaft is also provided with a stop,which prevents the motion of the clock-gear when the tape is withdrawn,and'also'serves to shunt the. circuit from the operating parts of theapparatus when not in use.- I

' My inventionconsis'ts'in the combination of the above devices, aspresented in the claims. I in the drawings, Figures 1 and 4, Arepresents the grooved drum, r es ting in a bearing,

- B, atone end, and attached to the main shaft 0 of a plock-gearing atheother. D are, the tapes,-i 'astened at one end to the drum, and woundaround the same inthe grooves. These tapes correspond in number to themost frequently recurring wants of theestablishment, and are providedwith elongated and circular perforations, arranged to representtelegraphic letters. Each one of the said tapes in the same instrumenthafsthe first letter alike to indicate the locality, the letters ornumbers indicating ,the want being different, as A A, A &c.;

the next instrument, Bl, lZ,-B. at. E is a non-conducting bar, uponwhich are fastened thesprings F, containing the small wheels G.-

H, Fig. 2, is a'second non-conducting bar, upon which are placedthemetallic supports I, con-v taining-the metallicwheels J. In betweenthese wheels J and the wheels G pass the tapes 1), thelatterterminatingoutside the box in metallic clips, containing rings K, and the saidclips having shoulders which rest in slots in a metallic lace-plate.Z-is the linewire connection for'the incoming current, and M theline-wire connect-ion for the outgoing current. Said post Z' connects,-by means of the wires'a and I), Fig. 1, with the first of the springs F,and, through the wheel, with the supports I. N, Figs. 1-, 2, and, 3, arewires connecting the support of the first of wheels J with the spring Fof the second wheel G,

, &c., the last of these supports 1 'comnuinicat- 'ing with the post 0upon the metallic frame of the clock-gearing through the wire 0. 1

Figs. 2and' 1. is a clock-spring, and Q a ratchet-wheehniade fast toshaftO attachedftd the drum is a loose wheel',-bearing a pawl, andmeshing with a spur-gear and 11y. Said wheel It hasa stud, cl, whichmoves readily in one direction under-- an insulated catch,-:-S, butis'opposedbyfa notch in the latter'when moved in an opposite direction.Said catchconnect's, through a; .spring, T,- with the postZ, and serves,through'stud d; to, shunt the circuit from"the Operating partsiwhennot'in use. v81nd stud d opposes the motion of wheel R when the tape iswithdrawn, and the shunting of the opera-t ing :parts is maintaineduntil-the tapeis'released. U, Figs. 1 and 3, is a galvanometer,

spaces beneath the grooves of the drum into recesses, which, when asignal is sent,.receive the relaxed folds of theother tapes, andpre ventthe same from becomingdisplaced or tangled.

The operation of this-apparatus is as follows: The instrument issupposed to be set up at a station, and to be connected at a centralsupply-oflice with a relay-magnet, Morse register, or sounder. Now, whenthe apparatus is not in operation the current comes in at post Z, passesalong wire 'a through-the metallic frame of the clock-gearii lg-dowuwire a through thecoils of the .galvanometer, and out wire y to the postM, theonlymanifestation ot the same appearing in the needle of. thegalvanometer, which, if the-current be broken by some other instrument,becomesagitated in its endeavors 'to dispose itself transversely to thecurrcntin the'coils, obedient to certain laws of magnetism. lf theneedle is, therefore, in motion, to avoid confusion of signals, theoperator must wait until it becomesquiet, as its treniuious motionindicates the employment of the wires by some other instrument. "Now, ifa carriage is.

' wanted and the middle tape designates ,the"

he middle ring is pulled out as far as same, is

itwill come and then. allowed-to team, the hook l and linltW limitingthe withdrawai' of' the tape to one revolutionof thedrumf pawl on the;loose wheel R, stud-d iscargicdi away from stop S,- an d theelectricalconnec The immediate efi'ect of the withdrawal of the tape-i810 "rotate,tlie drum, which, being on the same "shaft" with the ratchet-wheelandthe spring 'P,'}winds'up the latter. The wheel v vR,"beinga'loose-one,is held stationary by meausqof the stud d and catcl1-S,-and the:sh'nntiug of the operating parts. still main-I taincd, 'untilthe tapeis released andfthefie-= trograde motion conrmences. As -s0on"as1 thetape is released-the ratchet-wheel epgagesthe iofii consequentlybroken. The current now comes in. at Z and. follows theIwires at to thefirst spring-F, and-as the upper. apd lowerset of wheels are. always in--contact whenthe tape.

is wound u'p'andat rest the current passes down F, G,- Liand J and thelower one, J, betweenjwhich the non-conducting perforated tape ispassing, whereit is broken according to the perforations'desig natin gacarriage. The current, as thus broken,

is transmitted through thennbroken eonnection of the metallic conductorsF,JG, I, J, and N, out to post M through-cs3 g Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new isv I 1. The combination of thepertorated nOnconducting tapes D, with a grooved drum, A, placed uponone and the samesh'uft with the mainspring of a clock geariugsoconstructed and arranged that the withdrawal of the tapes winds up thespring, andthe reaction of the spring, when thetapes are released, windsup signals, substantially as described.

in turn the tapes for tlie'trans mission of the -2-. Theperforatednon-conduetingtapes D;in

combii'iation with the insulated spring-seated wheels G, the insulatedwheels-jJ,-,and"the wires N, connecting the wheels ,Lof one tape. withthe contact-wheels G; of the next','sub-. stant-iaily as and for thepurpose'described.

3. The combination,with the stud (Z, of the loose wheel 1%., thespring-seated insulated catch Spand the wire a, for the purpose ofopposing them'otion of the c]ockgearing when the'spring is wound up,"andshuiitiug the cir-j cuit from the operating partsuntil the tape, whichhas been drawn out,isr -elea5ed, shb- I stantiullyas described.

, 1 Josern W. KATES Witnesses: l

YGEO. W. McQovnnmY'.

W. Gosmmup the wiresN usinterrupted until it reaches the middle spring..F, when it passes down from the wheel G to

